Team SD Worx welcomes addition of Koppenberg to Tour of Flanders

Team SD Worx welcomes addition of Koppenberg to Tour of Flanders

"Additional slope makes the race more selective"

01/04/2022

Team SD Worx explored the final 95 kilometres of the Tour of Flanders on Thursday. New in this edition is the Koppenberg. For the first time, the women's peloton traverses the steep Flemish cobbled slope in a race. "On the Koppenberg you cannot win the Ronde, but you can lose the race there," is the conclusion within Team SD Worx.

Linked race Ronde van Vlaanderen - Linked cyclists Lotte Kopecky Demi Vollering Elena Cecchini Christine Majerus Chantal Van Den Broek-Blaak Marlen Reusser

Chantal van den Broek-Blaak: "We can handle the succession of slopes perfectly"

"I have ridden the Tour of Flanders fourteen times before, but I was still happy to explore the course," says Chantal van den Broek-Blaak. "The race has changed a lot with the addition of the Koppenberg. The reconnaissance tells me that the battle for power will be even tougher. That only plays into our hands. We have a team that can handle that sequence of hills perfectly.”

“I am looking forward to making it a selective race. The fact that I already have the Ronde in my pocket since 2020 is a nice feeling. For me this is the race in Flanders, one of the most beautiful races there is. My form is really good, so I am looking forward to Sunday."

Demi Vollering: "Operating from the strength of the team"

"Whether I am nervous that after the Strade Bianche I have no more race kilometres in my legs? After an altitude training it is always a question of how the legs will react in a race. I have a good feeling after the reconnaissance." 

For Demi Vollering, it is the second Tour of Flanders with Team SD Worx. "We can operate from the strength of the team. It is nice to race like this. In the past I used to ride myself to pieces because I had to respond to every attack, while now we are with six riders who can go deep into the final. I am convinced we can make the race hard like we did in Strade Bianche." 

The positioning there is of vital importance.

Demi Vollering

Vollering is also pleased with the addition of the Koppenberg. "Whether it can be a game changer? If we go full gass there, then yes. I don't think you can win the race there, but you can certainly lose the Ronde on the Koppenberg. It will be a fight to the foot of the climb. The positioning there is of vital importance. For our team, the Koppenberg means added value. The tougher the race, the better for us."

Lotte Kopecky: "For the first time, I'm living calmly towards the Ronde"

"I'm looking forward to this Tour of Flanders with a lot of confidence," said Lotte Kopecky. "I am excited and for the first time I feel so calm in the run-up to the Ronde. I have learned to cope with the tension leading up to a big race. This is my dream race to win. Winning the Strade Bianche, my first big win, has put a lot of rest in my mind."

In Belgium, the 26-year-old rider is already being loudly applauded. "After my win in the Strade Bianche my status in Belgian cycling has changed. My name is called everywhere. In the past, that put me under pressure, because I felt the weight of the country on me. I had the feeling that everybody expected me to win. My teammates like the fact that I am cheered on, they get energy from it. Meanwhile, it is also a source of motivation for me," the Belgian champion explains. 

"That I could win in Italy after such a team effort only makes it better. The strength of our team will be our weapon now as well. Although we have to be careful. You can also lose the Tour of Flanders by being poorly positioned for the climbs. In any case, it will be important to make the race as hard as possible to get rid of the sprinters as soon as possible."

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